Birth date: Jan 13, 1947 Death date: Oct 18, 2013
De Jong, Dean, age 66 On October 18, Dean De Jong passed away following a long battle with dementia. Dean moved to Miami from Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1970 to join the Miami Police Department. He achieved the rank of Major before Read Obituary
Dear De Jong Family,
I have read of your loss and would like to send my you sympathy. Dean was so kind to me and my family years ago. I as a child needed to have open heart surgery. My family was in charge of finding blood donors for me. Dean so kindly stepped up to help. He was my blood donor. I will always remember him and the kindness he showed me. Your family is in our thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Clara Kerkstra VanderLaan
Dear Mrs. De Jong,
You were my psychology teacher in High School and I will never forget the valuable and extremely interesting information I learned in your class. I was just informed on the passing of your husband and I wanted to reach out to you and extend my condolences to you and your family. It is a very difficult time you must be going through, but we are comforted in knowing that this is only a transition and that one day we will all be together again in heaven with our Eternal Father. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Sincerely,
Crystal Van Orsdel
Dear Jan and Family,
I cherish our double-dating in high school and college. Seems like yesterday, doesn't it? Dean stood up at our wedding. What a spirited friend!
Before marriage, Sandy and I joined you folks for a trip to Illinois to scout out seminaries. When a seminary president told us he expected students not to identity too much with Jesus at the Cana wedding, your husband-to-be said being a man of the cloth wasn't for him. He and I wanted to mimic Jefferson and sip fine wines.
Dean came to Denver for a short visit in the 1990s when I was going through a ministry dry-spell. He epitomized a fellow who took risks, tried new vocational pursuits and thrived on the adventures. Your husband never knew what a pivotal blessing he gave, inspiring me to try something new in ministry.
The Hand that led Dean in this life doesn't let him go, Jan. Live in that faith. Sandy and I offer our condolences. Celebrate Dean's life in these brief 66 years and in the life God wraps around us in perfect joy, peace and love.
Browse my Web site www.thelivinghistory.com to stay in touch, Jan.
Friends always,
Sandy and Jack Van Ens
Dear Jan -
Bruce, Dean, and I were in the same class, and I too share the sentiments of Bruce. My father died of dementia a few years ago - what an awful disease.
I remember with a grin our late high school / early college days. Dean drove an old black Ford that already looked like a police car. He once paid a summer visit to me at Glen Lake. He was getting into scuba diving. He persuaded me to take him in our family boat to the deepest spot of the lake. He had a long rope and a weight but no contingency plan. While I waited in the boat, clueless as to what to do had there been an emergency, he touched bottom at 130 ft. It was foolish, but I am still impressed! We were going to live forever.
Please convey my sympathy also to sibs Cheryl, David, and 'Bobby'.
Ed Bolt
'Jan and Dean': After all these years, it just hit me!
Dear Jan and family,
Please accept my sympathy for your loss. It is hard to believe that I haven't seen you in the past 45 years. Indeed, time flies. And it is even harder to hear that Dean is gone. Thank you for placing the obit in the GR Press. This makes us realize thay life is brief, and to make the best of it while we can. My prayer for you is that God will richly supply His Grace for you at this time and continuing. Always remember that we live in the certain hope of the resurrection.
Best Regards,
Bruce E. Mulder
